Sweeper



J. FRENCH Noms, 1932.

SWEEPER Filed oct. 2o, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 #nl l....,.,/4

Z6' Z 4 24a Z3 ATTORNEY Nav. 8,1932. 4. FRENCH v 1,886,958'A SWEEPER Y l Filed oct. 2o, 19:51 2 sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STA-'res PATENT ori-ice JEANNETTE FRENCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR .TO UNIQUE :MANU'.lACPll!URDTG1l COMPANY, ING., F NEW' YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OIFv DELAWARE SWEEPEB Application mea october 2o, 1931. serial 110,569,866.

This invention relates to surface treating means and my improvements are directed to a hand-propelled device which may be provided with two separateV and distinct cleaning implements, which may be brushes having different characteristics, one being a relatively stiff brush for sweeping carpets, and the like, and the other a soft brush for sweeping hard surfaces; or the treating implements may be of suitable character Jfor polishing,

dressing, or otherwise treating ioors or similar surfaces.

ln cleaning or otherwise treating carpets, floors and similar surfaces, it is often desirable to employ diderent cleaning or treating devices on surfaces of different character, or to employ different cleaning devices successively lon the same surface. Thus for sweepingv carpets or rugs it may be desirable to empio)T a fairly stiff brush, whereas for sweeping waxed floors or other surfaces which are apt to be marred by the bristles of a stiff brush it is desirable to employ a relatively soft brush. The Aprincipal object of my invention is to provide an improved means embodying a plurality of such sweeping or cleaning devices, each of which may be rendered operative at will while the remaining device or devices are inoperative.

l n the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated I disclose a sweeper having two rotary brushes one of which may be a soft brush and one a stiff brush. The sweeper is provided with traction members which may be wheels of the usual type, and means are provided whereby either one of the brushes may be connected with the wheels so as to be operated thereby and at the same timey the other brush is disconnected from the wheels 0 and raised from the surface so as to remain idle while the sweeper is moving thereover. The sweeper is providr-d with the usual long handle to move it over the Hoor, and as is the practice with this type of sweeper the 'a handle pivoted to the sweeper body so that, in its operative positions, it may extend from one end or the other of-.the sweeper body. For the purpose of rendering either brush operative, at will, I mount the brushes in such a manner that when the handle is swung from one end of the sweeper body to the other, one of the brushes is moved downwardly into contact with the floor, and being in engagement with the traction wheels is in a position to be operated thereby when the sweeper is moved over Vthe floor. This same movementof the handle lifts the other brush away from contact with the door.

The brushes are preferably mounted on parallel axes, in spaced relation with a dust pan between them, and in the preferred construction the arrangement is such that the.

operative brush is always the forward brush of the sweeper.

My improved sweeper structure includes a casing within which two pairs of traction wheels are journalled, while the respective brushes are disposed within the casing near opposite ends thereof, and respectively beyond the pairs of traction wheels, said brushes carrying circular frictional disks that are adapted to be rotated from the tracl tion wheels with which they are associated.-

The sweeper handle has `a bail which is journalled by pivotal portions thereof in opposite sides ofthe casing, said pivotal portions carrying disks with which are connected links that themselves are pivoted to bars which each have a bearing for a brush and are slotted to receive the axles of the traction wheels. i v

Since the disks are securedl to the bail pivotal portions the swinging movement4 of the handle in one direction causes the bars, which use the traction wheel axles as fulcra, to raise the brush at one end of the casing out of contact with the Hoor surface and to depress the brush at the other end of the casing purpose. Said box, which has a central partition, is adapted to lie between the brushes and has end openings adjacent the brushes to receive dirt, etc., swept up thereby.

Other features r1nd advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of my improved surface treating device taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is an endwise section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In said views let 1 indicate a casing adapted to contain the cleaner mechanism and having pairs of traction wheels 2, 3, which are respectively journalled in bearings 4 provided therefor in said casing, said wheels having the axles 5.

The outer cylindrical faces of the wheels are lined with friction material such as rubber, forming the usual traction tires for the Wheels. 6 indicates a handle for the sweeper, which handle is provided at its lower end with a bail or yoke-shaped member 6a pivoted in the side walls of the sweeper casing 1 as shown at 7, and 8 represents the portions of the bail which project inside the casing. Each portion 8 has a collar 9 mounted upon it and secured thereto as by means of a setscrew 10. U-shaped links 11, 12 are pivotally mounted at their upper ends on each disk 13, and said disks are mounted respectively on the projecting portions 8 of the bail and fixed to collars 9. The lower ends of links 11, 12 are pivotally mounted at the inner ends of lever members 14, 15. These lever members have slots 16, 17 by means of which they, are mounted upon the axles 5, of the traction wheels 2, 3, and are capable of rocking thereon. The outer ends of the lever members carry bearings in which sweeping brushes 24, 25 are rotatably mounted.

Each of these brushes is formed of a cylindrical core of any suitable material, carrying bristles. The 'bristles of one of the brushes, as for example brush 24., may be stiff Yand adapted for cleaning carpets, rugs and rough surfaces generally, while the bristles of the other brush 25 may be soft and adapted for sweeping polished or waxed oors and,

smooth surfaces generally.

Projecting from the ends of the cores 24a, 25a of brushes 24, 25, are journals 26, which extend through and are rotatably mounted near the ends of lever members 14, 15, as shown at 27. The bearing 27 is cut away in order to enable the brushes to be removed and replaced easily. Friction wheels 28, 29, made of any suitable material, are secured to the outer ends of the journals 26. The ends 31, 32 of tension springs 30 are secured to the inner ends of lever members 14, 15, and the tension in the springs pulls the lever members inwardly and maintains contact under pressure between the brush friction wheels 28, 29, and the traction wheels 2, 3.

It will thus be seen that by pulling lever members 14 and 15 outwardly, the journals 26 are freed, thereby enabling the brushes' to be removed easily from the casing. The

extent of the outward movement of the mem- -top of casing 1. In Fig. 2, brush 25 is in inoperative position and cam 34 holds fric' tion wheel 29 out of contact with traction wheel 3.

The operation of my improved sweeper is as follows:

As the handle 6 is swung from one end of the body 1 to the other, disks 13 will be rotated. Referring to Figure 2, and supposing the handle 6 to be swung from right to left, turning disks 13 with it, then link 12 will be raised and link 11 lowered, thus lowering the inner end of lever member 14, rotating it about the traction wheel axle 5, pressing friction wheel 28 against cam 33, and pulling lever 14 outwardly along the slot 16. In this manner' the brush 24 vwill be raised from the surface, and at the same time friction wheel 28 will be moved out of engagement with traction wheel 2, and the brush will therefore remain idle during the operation of the sweeper. Similarly, by the same movement of the handle from right to left, it will be seen that brush 25 will be moved into contact with the surface, and into operative engagement with the traction wheel 3. A reversal of the handle will cause the former brush to be moved into operative position and the latter brush into inoperative position.

A dust pan 35 which can be removed and replaced through the top of the sweeper casing 1, has lips 36 which rest on the top 37 of the casing 1, thereby supporting and holding the said dust pan in position. The dust pan has a bottom portion 38, the ends 39 of which are bent upwardly and inwardly so as in such position that its teeth engage with the bristles of the brush. This application is a'continuation in part of my application for sweeper, Serial No. 341,260, iiled February 19, 1929. t Variations Within the spirit and scope o my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.A

I claim: .1. ln a surface treating machine, in combination, a casing, traction members, treatingdevices having different characteristics,-

a pivotal handle, and means connecting said treating devices with said handle whereby the swinging of said handle in one direction or the other serves selectively to connect one or the other of said treating devices with said traction members for operation.

2. The combination with a surface treats ing machine havin acasing and traction Wheels, of two para lel, cylindrical treating devices, movable means mounted in said cas- -ing for carrying said devices, said devices having different characteristics, a pivotal handle, and means connecting said carrying means and handle, whereby the swinging of said handle in one direction or the other serves selectively and operatively to connect one or the other of said treating devices with said wheels for rotation of the devices.

3. In a. surface treating machine, an elongated casing, two cylindrical treating devices `mounted on parallel axes transversely of said casing, traction wheels mounted in the casing, a handle pivotally connected with said casing for operating said surface treating machine from either end thereof, and means controlled by the swinging. movement of thehandle toward either end of the machine for operatively connecting the treating device near .the opposite end of the machine to a traction wheel.

4. In a surface-treating machine, a cas ing, traction wheels mounted thereon, a handie-having a bail journalled Aby pivotal portions in oppositesides of saidcasing, disks carried by said pivotal portions, links eccentrically pivoted to said disks, lever members having their inner ends pivoted to said links, each of said lever members, at a point intermediate its length, being pivotally and' slidably mounted upon the casing, rotary treating devices journalled at the outer ends of vsaid lever` members, .said treating devices v` p lincluding friction wheels, means to urge said friction wheels into engagement with said A traction wheels and fixed cams associated with ,each treating device which engage and moveoutward said associated treating device when the latter is raised, whereby the swinging of the handle in one direction or the other causes one treating device or the other to be i placed in operative position while the other treating device is placed in inoperative posi- 5. In a surface treating machine, a body casing, an elongated handle for moving said casing and operating said machine, said hanf dlehaving a bail pivoted to said casing, lever members pivoted in said casing, treating devices journalled in said lever members, friction wheels carried by said treating devices,

pairs of traction wheels mounted in opposite ends of said casing, .and means of connection between said bail and said lever members, said handle when swung to one end of the casing moving one of said treating devices` to bring its friction wheels into contact with the rims of an adjacent pair of, traction wheels for rotation of the treating device thereby, and moving the other treating device to a position where it is inoperative, and said handle when vswung in the opposite direction to the other end of the said casing,

moving the first named treating device to a position where it is inoperative, and the second named treating deviceto a position for operation by engagement?I` of its. lfriction wheels with the rims of its traction wheels.

adjacent pair of f 6. In a surface treating machine, a casing,

pairs of traction wheels mounted thereon, and floor treating devices, each door treating device being capable of frictional o eration by a pair of traction wheels, a hand e having a bailthat is journalled by pivotal portions thereof in opposite sides ofthe casing, disks carried by said pivotal portions, links eccentrically pivoted to said disks, lever members in pvotal engagement with said links, pairs of said lever members having bearin s .res ectively for said treating devices and eing'.

1s otted to receive the axles of the traction wheels, cams fixed in said casing respectively adjacent said treating devices to co-act thereiis with, and means whereby the swinging movement of said handle in one direction causes associated links and levers against its adja cent cams, to be thus held out of contact with co-acting traction wheels, and theswinging. movement of said handle in the'oppositeA dil one of said treating devices to be moved by its rection causes the other treating device to be 1 similarly brought into contact with its adja-f cent cams and out of contact with its' co-acting traction wheels.

7. In a surface treating machine, al casing, .pairs of ktraction wheelsmounted thereon,

`and Hoor treating devices,each ioor treating device being' capable of frictiona'l operation 130 by a pair of traction wheels. a handle having a bail that is journalled by pivotal portions thereof in opposite sides of the casing, disks carried by said pivotal portions, links eccentrically pivoted to said disks, lever members in pivotal engagement with said links, pairs of said lever members having hook-shaped bearings at their outer ends respectively for said treating devices and being. slotted intermediate their ends to receive the axles of the traction wheels, springs urging said lever members inwardly' and thereby holding said treatin devices in position, said lever members w en pulled outwardly enabling said treatin devices to be released and removed from t e hook-shaped bearings, camsxed in said casing respectively adjacent said treating devices to co-act therewith, and` means whereby the swinging movement of said handle in one direction causesone of said treating devices to be moved by its associated links and levers against its adjacent cams, to be thus held out of contact with co-acting traction wheels, and the swinging movement of said handle in the opposite direction causes the other treating device to be similarly brought into contact with its adjacent cams and out of contact with its co-acting traction wheels.

8. In a sweeper, in combination, a casing having an opening in its upper portion, brushes supported in said casing, traction wheels 'ournalled in said casing, actuating means etween said traction wheels and brushes to rotate said brushes, a handle forv operating said sweeper, a dust pan capable of being removably tted within said casing, between said brushes, by way of said opening, and a partition for dividing said pan into two spaced 'brushes rotatably supported in said` casing adjacent the end walls: thereof, traction wheels journalled in and supporting said cas1ng,` said casing'presenting an opening in brushes.

JEANNETTE FRENCH.

compartments for co-action respectively,

itspupper portion, opposite edges of said openlng being spaced from adjacent end walls of said casing to define top portions overhangmg the brushes, andl a dust pan removably insertable within said opening to lie between said brushes.

11. In a surface treating machine, a casing f spaced brushes rotatably supported n said casing adjacent the end walls thereof, trac- 

